There has, of course, been what seems like a never-ending rash of self-immolations in protest to Chinese rule of Tibet; these have been covered ongoingly over at Buddhadharma‘s Buddhadharma News page, with some 60-plus of these deaths taking place since 2009 alone. Seven of them occurred last week alone.
People often wonder what the Dalai Lama thinks about the immolation phenomenon; with so much loss and so little change, have these deaths been in vain? Does he support these acts? How might the rest of us carry on? In the video above, from a recent Today appearance, Ann Curry asks these questions and more.
"The struggle we are carrying is between Power of Truth and Power of Gun. In the short therm, Power of Gun is much stronger. But in the long run, Power of Truth is stronger than Power of Gun… This is my fundamental belief."
The concise story of all human struggles and the inevitable outcome.
His persistent refusal to condemn these acts and encourage ‘his’ people not to go through that pain for nothing is the one damming mark on an otherwise brilliant man.
Depends on the motivation! As a true spokesperson for the Buddhadharma he cannot say it's right or wrong, as it's not harmful towards others.
What a desperate struggle for freedom, when this is the only way the Tibetans can fight their oppressors. It is appalling that the world, including the Chinese, allow the oppression to continue. Freedom for Tibet!
He is so old that he becomes a thief.
weird generalization….do you mean as people age they become thief???hmm..never heard of that before…… well about self immolation…i really wish he says personally he doesn't like it or support it…but as a spokesperson for tibetans, he cannot say right or wrong… just today another monk self immolated himself in Kathmandu, Nepal. It is painful to see people dying like that… they are a warrior of freedom, but when all these sacrifices are not moving china a bit…i wonder why those innocent souls have to die like that….lets just hope this act stops…. for the sake of tibet's freedom and for the sake of celebrating life.